Read Harder Recommendations: Eisner Award Winners

The Panels 2015 Read Harder Challenge consists of 26 challenge categories spanning the breadth and depth of all things that may be considered comics. Every week we’ll give you reading recommendations from one of the categories.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are like the Academy Awards of comic books. In the world of stories told with panels, they don’t get more prestigious than the Eisner Awards. Comic-Con International presents the awards each year and selects a judging panel to select nominees. The nominees are then open to voting by comic book professionals. Needless to say, any book to have won this award is worthy of your time. Here are some of our favorites.

While it’s slightly tragic that I’m just getting to Bone now, in my mid-thirties, I figure it’s better late than never. This is a delightfully quirky mash-up of fairy tale tropes, a medieval story, and something wholly other and nonsensical at the same time. The humor is on point for all ages, and it’s easy to get lost in the art. – Andi Miller

Exactly what it says on the tin. If you love high-flying adventure, American history, heartbreaking stories about family, or anthropomorphic ducks, this book is for you. I adore all four of those things, which is why Scrooge McDuck’s rags to riches epic is one of my favorite comics ever. – Jessica Plummer

In her coming-of-age story meets ghost story, Brosgol creates a main character, Anya, so relatable in her insecurity and her longing to be like other American teenagers that it had me flashing back on my own teen angst. With her humor and fun touch of the supernatural, it was a joy to read. If you’re a fan of YA prose books seeking to get into comics, I highly recommend this one. – Gina Nicoll

Mica and her grandmother, Regina, return to Warsaw to recover property left behind in World War II—or at least that’s how Regina presents it. I won’t spoil where it goes from there, but it’s a beautiful story about family and our secrets, sacrifices, and love. – Gina Nicoll